Sunday, November 6, 2011

AMERICA: BOLIVIA: HUMAN TRAFFICKING INCREASES- 37 CHILDREN MISSING

Agenzia Fides REPORT - In just three months, 75 children have been reported missing in Sucre, and only 38 of them have been found, this leads us to think that the others are likely to be victims of human trafficking. These cases were handled by the Child and Family Division of the special anti-crime Force (FELCC), between July and September this year. Lieutenant Colonel Rivas Susana, commander of the brigade for the protection of the family, presented this information during a workshop and a panel discussion that took place on November 1, to analyze the full bill against human trafficking.According to information gathered by Fides, a police representative said that the people still missing "may be regarded as cases of human trafficking", so he urged the public and private institutions to work with "strategic alliances". Rivas did not exclude the possibility that these missing people may be "used for labor and sexual exploitation". On the other hand he regretted that currently "children are easily transferred from the province to the city and from the city to other parts of the country, and there is insufficient control on behalf of the institutions".The representatives of the Institutions in defense of human rights of Chuquisaca, both public and private, met on Tuesday, November 1, to discuss and enrich the bill to combat human trafficking. Jose Rocha, Coordinator of the Bolivian Youth Consortium (CONBOJUV), said that the opportunity allowed to "see ourselves as protagonists of a proposal". (CE) (Agenzia Fides 03/11/2011)